Are Warehouse Robots the Future of Small Business Shipping Operations?

Could robots be coming to the small business realm? That’s the topic up for discussion in a new Endicia article by Small Biz Technology’s own Ramon Ray. The article, titled Amazon Warehouse Robots: Is This the Future of Shipping?, addresses Amazon’s use of robots in packing and shipping, and how this may one day impact small businesses.

As you know, robots are already a staple on production lines, such as automobile assembly. Today robots are expanding to other industries too, and the expansion has some fearing that humans may be pushed out of work by machines that can do the same job faster, more accurately and more efficiently.

Amazon’s warehouse robots recently got the spotlight at the IEEE’s International Conference on Robotics and Automation, held earlier this year in Seattle. During this event, Amazon’s robots were put through a series of tests, from selecting a book from a shelf to grabbing a bag of Oreos. Amazon has been using robots in their warehouses since 2012, and as this event demonstrates, they are continuing to explore how robots can be used in their shipping and packing operations.

So will the robot trend ever expand to small businesses? Can we picture a future where small business owners use warehouse robots for packing and shipping their own products? What would that world be like and what are the important considerations?

In the recent Endicia article, Ramon looks at how warehouse robots could help out small businesses, what the limitations are, and what small businesses should know. While the costs are high, warehouse robots are certainly not coming to small business operations overnight. However, this is on the horizon, so it’s a good idea to stay up to date with the trend now.